The Tower Falls
by PokerGuy
Summary: A story about September 11, 2001. Rated M for intense emotional content, nothing else objectionable.


**This story is very similar to the story Run by Strawberryfinn for The Suite Life.**

**Due to the time frame, you have to assume this is an alternate universe. They are all the same age as in the show, and she is still secretly HM.**

_09:03 AM EDT, September 11, 2001 World Trade Center, top floor, south tower_

"We're ready to sign, so let's do it...what was that?" Robbie Ray Stewart said as he felt the building shake and saw the lights go out.

"I don't know," the concert promoter told him. "Never felt anything like that up here before. I do know I don't like the looks of that smoke," pointing to the window.

"I don't either."

"Maybe we better see about getting out," the promoter said. "The elevators won't work without power, and you're not supposed to use them in a fire anyway. It's gonna be a long walk." He led the way to a stairwell and opened the door, but quickly closed it when thick smoke poured in.

"Maybe not that one," said Mr. Stewart. They tried the rest, with thick smoke in each one.

"I don't like this," said the promoter.

"Should we try the elevator anyway?"

"Can't hurt," said the promoter. The call button stayed dark when he pressed it.

"I'm going to call home." Mr. Stewart took out his cell phone and and called home. When the machine picked up he said "Kids, when you hear this call my cell now. It's important, very important." Then he decided to call the Hannah phone, hoping that Miley had left the ring on. The first time it rang until he got voice mail. He hit redial.

_06:08 AM PDT The Stewart House_

"Hello?" Miley muttered sleepily into her cell phone.

"Miley, you awake?"

"Barely, Dad," she said yawning a bit.

"Wake up the rest of the way, Mile. Wake up Jackson too and both of you get on the speaker phone."

"Is something going on, Dad?" Miley said now fully awake.

"I don't know just what is going on. It could be very bad. I'm in the World Trade Center, and it looks like there's a big fire below us, with a lot of smoke."

"My god, daddy, can you get out?"

"Not yet. The stairwells are filled with smoke. We won't be able to breathe, and elevators don't work."

"Oh god. Let me go wake him up," she said, running to her brother's room.

She went into his room and said "Jackson, wake up!" while shaking him.

"Go away," he said and buried his head under the covers.

"Jackson, wake up, this is no joke, daddy's in a lot of trouble!" she said while shaking the covers.

"What, Miles," Jackson asked while sitting up.

"Here, he'll tell you," she said, handing him the cell phone. "He wants to to talk to us on the speaker, so come to the living room."

They went, with Jackson saying an occasional "Uh oh...that's bad...find a way out, dad."

"Ok, have him hang up so we can call back on this one," she said.

Jackson closed the phone. She dialed.

_09:10 AM EDT WTC_

He closed the phone and waited. Soon it rang. He answered "Hi kids."

He heard both of them say "Hi, dad."

"Look, I have an idea," he said. "If this is as bad as it looks, it might be getting news coverage. Try CNN."

He heard "...jacked planes into both towers."

_06:10 AM PDT The Stewart Home_

They watched smoke billow from a tall building as the announcer said "...jacked planes into both towers."

"Kids, are you seeing anything," his voice came from the speaker.

"Oh my god, Daddy, I just hope this isn't you," said Miley. "There's this huge fire in a building, you can hardly see it through all the smoke, AND DIDYOU SAY YOU WERE IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER?" screaming the last.

"Yes, I am."

"Dad," spoke up Jackson, "the streamers say that hijacked planes were flown into both towers."

"I want Oliver and Lilly here," she said, and dialed Lilly on her cell. "Lilly, can you come over? I know what time it is. Look, my dad's in a lot of danger. There's been a terrorist attack in New York, and he's trapped in a building with a big fire beneath him. Wake up your parents, turn on CNN, have them watch it, tell them my dad is there, and ask them if you can come over...ok, see you." She called Oliver and told him the same thing.

Jackson held out his hand. She figured out what he wanted, and gave him the cell. He called Cooper and told him what was going on.

_09:15 AM EDT WTC_

He nodded approval as he heard his children call their friends, then almost laughed at himself. Like they would see him nod. Then he looked around. There was already a smoky haze in the air, and his eyes were watering. "Kids, the smoke is getting worse," he said.

"Daddy, maybe you could try the stairways again," Miley said hysterically.

"Mile, settle down, I will," he said. Shortly he said "That's where the smoke is coming from."

"Oh no," said Jackson.

"MY GOD!" Miley cried. "DADDY, THEY'RE SHOWING PEOPLE JUMPING OUT OF WINDOWS!"

"Try to calm down, Mile," he said.

"I can't calm down," she said somewhat more calmly. "But, oh, this is terrible."

"Look, Mamaw should know about this," he said. "Call her on your cell, Mile."

_06:19 AM PDT The Stewart house_

Miley retrieved her cell and dialed Grandma Stewart. "Mamaw, have you heard the news?...Oh god, it's terrible, turn on CNN! There's been a terrorist attack in New York, and daddy's trapped in the World Trade Center! It's on fire, smoke everywhere, just turn on CNN!"

"Try putting the cell next to the speaker," came Mr. Stewart's voice. "Maybe we can hear each other that way."

Miley did so and said "Go ahead."

"Mom, can you hear me...good...how about you, kids?" he asked.

"We can hear you, but not her," said Jackson.

"It's like Miley told you, mom," Mr. Stewart said. "I'm in the World Trade Center, the smoke is getting worse, the stairwells are filled with thick smoke, and this is turning into a very bad day...she told me good luck, kids."

_09:24 AM EDT WTC_

The promoter told him "We should try the roof. Maybe the air will be better there. We can hold our breath in the stairwell."

"Good idea. Kids, did you hear that? Hang on, we're going to try something."

A few moments later he said "Ok, we're on the roof, and it isn't too bad."

_06:31 AM PDT The Stewart house_

Oliver arrived first and asked "How bad is it?"

"It's beyond bad," said Jackson.

"It's horrible!" said Miley. "But he's on the roof, and says it's better up there."

"Hi Oliver," came Mr. Stewart's voice. "It's like they said, I'm on the roof. Let's hope they put out the fire before it gets this high."

"Dad," said Jackson "I hate to say this, but they're not putting it out. There's more smoke, not less."

Lilly and Cooper arrived together. Miley said "Come in, come in. Oh my god, this is terrible!"

"Where is he?" asked Lilly.

"On the roof," said Jackson. "The smoke isn't too bad up there."

"Hi Lilly," came Mr. Stewart's voice. "Jackson's right, but the smoke is getting worse even here."

"I'm here too," said Cooper.

"Hi Cooper," Mr. Stewart said. "Thanks for coming over."

"Hi Mr. Stewart," said Cooper.

"Kids, mom, I think we better talk about something," came Mr. Stewart's voice. "I may not make it through this. If I don't, Miley, the publicity about your manager dying will probably blow your secret."

"OH MY GOD, DADDY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT NOW!" Miley screamed.

"Ok...I won't," said Mr. Stewart. "What was that, mom?...I'll do anything I can to get out of this, but it really isn't looking all that good for Robbie Ray right now...Mom, listen, everyone listen. Take care of my kids, mom. Kids, she isn't as young as I am. Behave for her. Try to get along. Do what she tells you... she says she'll be on the next flight to LA if I don't get through this. I love you, all of you."

_10:05 AM EDT WTC, also 7:05 AM PDT The Stewart house_

"Kids, mom, everyone, the building is shaking beneath me, and that can't be good."

They watched in horror as the south tower fell.

_The end_


End file.
